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Young American Scholars to attend Pierce Study Abroad Leadership Academy

This summer 14 American high school students will attend the Pierce Study Abroad Leadership Academy as part of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s Cooke Young Scholars Program. It is the second year for this three-and-a-half-week academy, which fuses overseas adventure travel with transformative academic study.

The curriculum combines academics (including on-site instruction), workshops, simulations, debate, sports and outdoor activities affording participants the opportunity to develop their knowledge, skills, network and self-awareness — essential skills for their future as responsible, global leaders.

This program is an action-packed educational adventure including everything from horseback riding on Skyros Island to a sailing trip through the Aegean Sea.

Students may select one of the four components of the program:

  • STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
  • Service Learning, Human Rights and Sustainable Development
  • From Humanism to Leadership
  • Entrepreneurship

The Cooke Young Scholars Program is a selective five-year, pre-college scholarship for high-performing 7th grade students with financial need. It provides comprehensive academic and college advising, as well as financial support for school, Cooke-sponsored summer programs, internships, and other learning enrichment opportunities.

The Cooke Community Summer Programs are a series of multi-week residential academic enrichment programs that target specific skills and experiences that will benefit Cooke Young Scholars through high school, college, and beyond. These experiences include challenging academics, supportive community-building activities, mentorship and hands-on projects, leadership and service development, college admissions and success planning, and time to reflect on what you are learning about yourself and your future.

Each Summer Program experience connects to the Young Scholars Program’s five critical actions for every scholar:

  • Own your learning: Pursue knowledge deliberately and build skills
  • Engage and lead purposefully: Get involved in and lead activities that matter to you and your community
  • Develop your expertise: Develop expertise in one or two things and share that expertise with others
  • Connect with people: Make meaningful connections with people
  • Contribute to the world: Think big about who you want to be and act in service of your aspirations

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. Since 2000, the Foundation has awarded $190 million in scholarships to nearly 2,500 students from 8th grade through graduate school, along with comprehensive counseling and other support services. The Foundation has also provided over $100 million in grants to organizations that serve such students.